A Neural Network Approach for Understanding Patient Experiences of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD): Retrospective, Cross-sectional Study of Social Media Content.

We demonstrated the potential of neural networks and advanced analytics to gain patient-focused insights about how each distinct COPD symptom contributes to the burden of chronic and acute respiratory illness. Using a neural network approach, we identified words and phrases for COPD symptoms that were specific to the patient community. Identifying patterns in the association between symptoms and impacts deepened our understanding of the patient experience of COPD. This approach can be readily applied to other disease areas.